This is for mainstream hollywood movies. There doesn't seem to be anything similar for independents though.

But why are libraries spending their meager budgets on Hollywood movies???? Especially since most of these movies are readily available down at the local rental store for $3.99....something even poor people can afford.

Sure, you can buy a hollywood DVD down at wal-mart for $19.99....but how does this support the educational mission that libraries were started for in the first place? As someone who grew up on a farm in a dirt poor rural community in south Georgia, the only place I had access to educational materials was my school library during the school year and the bookmobile during the summer. Now I have a master's degree. How would having more access to Hollywood movies have helped me rise above my situation? My grandfather, who grew up in the same community, could neither read nor write. Eighty years ago there were no such educational opportunities. Libraries and public schools made all the difference.

I've always thought librarians should view themselves as "collectors" of educational material the same way art museums are collectors of great art. Would you bother visiting an art museum if it was just filled with cheap art prints the museum director picked up for $19.99 at the local wal-mart?????

If you have a limited budget and you could buy three pulp fiction books or one SAT Study Guide, which would you choose? Sure the study guide might be more expensive but I would hope you'd choose the study guide. I'm not sure how purchasing another Stephen King novel would have helped me get into my first college. Thankfully my library DID have an SAT study guide.

And why should museum directors be using their donors' funds to help sudsidize Wal-Mart? Likewise, why should libraries use tax payer funds to subsudize Hollywood? Hollywood movies make their profits from theatrical distribution. DVD sales are just pure profit. Educational videos have to make ALL their money back from DVD sales. Thus they cost more. And libraries are the ONLY distribution outlet for such videos-- so if you're spending your limited funds on cheap Hollywood DVD's you're not only subsidizing Hollywood but you're killing educational video producers....like me.

I'm afraid if libraries simply become repositories for pulp fiction and Hollywood movies, one day Congress will legitimately ask: what purpose do libraries still serve? Do you really want to give Congress the excuse they've been looking for to cut funding completely???? Sure your media collections may grow slower by purchasing more expensive educational DVDs but you can at least point out to your critics that this is the ONLY place that makes them available to the public who otherwise would not have access.

>I wish it were so simple Rick but you have literally thousands and thousands>of rights holders. We all know of the VAST majority of feature films were>not available on VHS or DVD.The number will be FAR greater for digitizing.>The things I know best foreign & independent features will be very difficult>to do legally. I don't personally envision a situation in which it becomes>legal to digitize a VHS or DVD and put it up for streaming without>licensing. This is far too close to illegal music downloading etc and the>big studios are not likely to let this in.>I am not saying it won't happen all over the place but NOT legally and they>will almost surely go after some institutions re entertainment stuff which>in the end will have the same effect. I noticed Google has suspended its>project for scanning major library collections due to objections from rights>holders.>>Librarians and consumers alike have wanted movies to be like music with a>kind of one stop or close to it licensing mode but again due to the HUGE>number of different owners all over the world this will not happen>>What I personally fear is that the studios will get their pound of flesh in>Huge licensing agreements but independent and individual rights holders will>get screwed as they really can not do this on that scale>>jessica>>>> >>>On 8/22/05 8:41 AM "Jessica Rosner" <jrosner@kino.com> sent this out:>>>> >>>>>The technology may be there but I don't think the rights issues will>>>ever catch up.>>> >>>>>The rights issues will be sorted out relatively immediately once consumers>>require/prefer on-demand streaming delivery.>>>>For example, that's how VHS came to replace 16mm film in K-12 education.>>Once consumers started buying VHS players in vast quantities, the prices>>came down and the schools could afford the players. Bzzzzzt! No more 16mm>>purchases!>>>>Once consumers expect streaming delivery and it's affordable, bzzzzt! no>>more physical media!>>>>Those producers/distributors who don't work out rights issues will no longer>>be distributing their materials once the transition from physical to virtual>>media fully unfolds.>>>>Imho,>>>>Rick Faaberg>>>>Ps. I'm walking the talk - I watch on-demand via Comcast cable vs. going to>>Blockbuster to rent the same title.>>>>_______________________________________________>>Videolib mailing list>>Videolib@library.berkeley.edu>>http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/mailman/listinfo/videolib>> >>>>>>Proud Resident of a BLUE STATE> >Jessica Rosner>Kino International>333 W 39th St. 503>NY NY 10018>jrosner@kino.com>212-629-6880>>>_______________________________________________>Videolib mailing list>Videolib@library.berkeley.edu>http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/mailman/listinfo/videolib>>>> >